Upside Down
by I Speak Muffin
Summary: Only one thing was for certain: I had just been tossed into a very upside down situation. MelloxNear


Hello again! I know I should be updating my other stories but I just could not resist the urge to post this one. The characters are a tad bit OOC because if they weren't this story would have no pairings. Also, this story doesn't really follow the actual Death Note plot-line. I guess you could say it's a bit AU.

Disclaimer: If I owned Death Note no one under 21 would probably be able to view it…Hey wait! That means I couldn't watch it! -insert sad face-

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Another day, another test, another fight; at least, that is what I thought was going to happen. The daily routine of waking up, going to classes, beating my rival in some test, then being physically beaten by said rival has been engraved into my life. It was not like that always happened though. There were days, however rare, that the older boy would not torment me. He would just sit there, in the orphanage's third playroom and munch on some chocolate, idly staring into space. That always frightened me most. Every satisfying crack of the dark treat being violently bit off would echo throughout the small room causing my heart to flutter with anticipation. At any moment, the elder could snap then barbarically attack me. The third playroom is the one I always occupy. Being in the same room as that terrifying blond greatly disturbed me. I was never really the social type therefore; I chose to play in the most seldom used playroom. Why am I not the social type? Aside from looking like a freak with my pale skin, white hair, and practically onyx- black eyes, associating with those of a _lower_ level than I never really sparked my interests. Conceited is not a correct word used to describe me. I do not think that I am better than the others are; it is just that I am smarter than the other children my age.

You see, this orphanage is for children that are extremely intelligent. Nonetheless, I am the smartest. He is second. Always second. Emotions always control his impulsive acts. Rage and jealously always glossed over his glistening blue eyes (although it is quite hard to see his eyes due to his blonde locks that always fall over them). It would seem that he never thinks things through. Never weighs the pros and cons, never considers the consciences. That is why he is second. Unlike him, I can control my emotions, or lack there of. I prefer not to entangle myself in those pitiful things called _feelings._

Please forgive me; I have not introduced myself properly. I am Nate River, prodigy, male. I am twelve years of age, orphan; my parents were brutally slaughtered by a rabid serial killer some eight years ago. Mihael Keehl, rival, male, orphan; I am not entirely certain of the cause of his parent's death since he had been around when I first arrived to this torturous place. Mihael is fourteen years old yet still second to my intellect. That teen has always hated me. Ever since the beginning. I do not know why he hates me so. Always hurting me, screaming obscenities, calling me crude names. Little did I know everything was going to change on this very day.

It began when I was hurrying through the long narrow halls of the orphanage. Not only late for class but also in need of bringing important files to the headmaster. Quickly, I turned the corner only to be met with the body of another person. The papers went splaying all about the area and I was sent tumbling into the arms of a leather clad teen. I looked up at the shocked face of my enemy. Neither of us moved; we just stared at each other, unsure of what to do. Blushing, I pushed away from the elder then dropped to my knees, trying as fast as possible to pick up the important papers. I could not help but to wonder what had gotten into me. Late for class, clumsy, blushing? What happened to me, but more importantly: why is this happening to me? Had karma finally caught up to my emotionless façade?

Mihael knelt down and began to gather up a few papers. He neatly stacked them then held them out to me. I stared down at them as if they were going to randomly jump up and attack me or something just as equally ridiculous.

"Would you quit staring at them and take them already," Mihael's voice was light like a whisper, though slightly irritated; he did not sound like he normally did. Yelling, angry. Dumbly, I nodded and reached out for the papers. After taking them, I placed them carefully with the others. The blond stood up and offered his hand to me. Again, I only stared. Gently, Mihael grasped my shoulder and began to tug on me, forcing me to stand up. "You should watch were you're going, clumsy." With that the elder carelessly walked away leaving me gawking (so very unlike me) after him. That boy was not Mihael. Never had he been so kind to me. A sudden, noisy chime echoed throughout the building. I groaned. Class was nearly half way over and I was still not there.

I found myself sitting outside in the warm summer's heat under a blossoming cherry tree on a wooden bench later that day after having been yelled at by the headmaster for getting the papers out of order and scolded by the teacher for showing up ten minutes before class ended. The rest of my classes had gone by without much of anything happening and now it was around six' o'clock. The sun barely peeked over the horizon; illuminating the dim, orange sky. My mind kept wandering back to this morning when I had ran into Mihael. There was obviously something wrong with that boy but I could not figure out what it was. Was it the time? Had I caught him when he was just waking up? I shook my head; there was no chance Mihael was a morning person therefore there was no chance that he was being nice because he just woke up. A rude, venomous voice broke my thoughts.

"Hey ya little freak!" I glanced up at the person that was screaming at me. It was one of the older boys; I could not remember his name. There was a group of people surrounding him, all looking positively vicious. Silently I gulped; this cannot be good. One of the many people roughly pulled on my shaggy, white hair. I could not stop the yelp that escaped my lips. My hair was released soon after; a few strands still desperately clung to the person's violent hand. Their "leader", the one that had addressed me, grabbed a hold of my baggy, white shirt and yanked me forward. "Ya know, I don't like freaks like you," he growled before he dropped me onto the dirt covered ground then landing a kick dead square onto my stomach. The kick caused me to roll over onto my side and desperately clench my torso.

That is when a deathly frightening voice rang out from somewhere near the crowd.

"Leave him alone!" I knew that voice, it was all too familiar.

"Mihael?" My voice was barely audible even to my own ears. A potentially homicidal blond broke through the horde of people and walked towards me.

"What are you going to do to stop us, we got you out numbered!" Sneered the boy that previously kicked me to which Mihael responded to by pulling a shiny, black handgun out of the pocket of his jeans and aiming it at the other. The lethal teen fingered the trigger as he sent the other boy an acidic glare. Everyone darted away as quick as their legs could possibly carry them leaving only him and me. I was not shocked to see that Mihael had a gun with him considering he had pulled it out on me numerous times. How he managed to sneak it pass the adults was beyond me. He twirled the gun then slipped it back into his jeans. Rolling over onto my back, still holding my stomach, I stared up at him as he knelt over me. Carefully, Mihael picked up my weak body bridal style and carried me into the orphanage.

My mind was in a foggy haze as the teen lugged me into a foreign bedroom. I assumed it was his own. A small noise of discomfort passed my lips as he laid me on a cotton-covered bed; my torso was aching. The bed creaked with added weight as Mihael sat down next to me.

"Are you okay?" he murmured, facing away from me, gazing at the plain, beige wall.

"Y-yes," I replied still not fully understanding why my _rival _had come to my rescue. Mihael turned to face me.

"Good," was all he said but the soft, relieved smile gracing his face told me that he was honestly concerned about my well-being. Determined to figure out what was going on, I sat up so I could better reach out towards the elder. Instantly, I regretted doing so as a sharp sting shot through my body. I fell back against the bed, withering in pain. Mihael placed a gloved hand onto my torso then began to shyly stroke the sore area; beginning to relieve the throbbing hurt. That little gesture reminded me of something that a mother would do when her child was injured.

"Should I take you to the infirmary?" Weakly, I shook my head in protest. The blond teen grinned down at me. "So stubborn." He mouthed out the words knowing fully well that he would not have to voice them. Slowly, the pain subsided but the nagging question in my head did not so I decided to prod at it.

"Why did you help me?" Mihael looked shocked and at a loss of words.

"I-I do not really know why," he momentarily looked away from me again but made no sign of moving his hand. Awkward silence filled the tiny room; the only noise that could be heard was our soft breathing.

Mihael's hand fisted up, grasping a ball of the fabric of my shirt as he began to speak, his tone just above a whisper.

"You are so weak, Nate. So weak, so frail, so breakable. I…I just want to protect you because-"

"It makes you feel better than me?" I sharply cut in. There was absolutely no denying the fact that he only defended me because he sees me as helpless and unable to protect myself. He feels the need to protect me because it will in turn make him look better than me. I scoffed. "That's pathetic _Mihael_ however I do thank you for the help." Assembling all the remaining strength I had left, I forced my body to move in a frantic attempted to maneuver off the bed. I had made it into a standing position near the cot before a harsh yank sent me falling back onto a certain psychotic chocoholic.

Mihael wrapped his arms around me in an iron hold. I knew there was no point in struggling but that did not stop me. Every wiggle, every kick; nothing seemed to have an effect on the teen behind me. Under normal circumstances, I would have had a slight chance of escaping but this was not a "normal circumstance". I was in pain and the soothing warmth emitting from the individual pressed so closely to me did not help. The blonde's arms were like a snug, little blanket; cocooning me from the unforgiving reality of the outside world. I wanted nothing more than to relax and give into the all-too-new sensation.

"I am not letting you go back out there. Do you have any idea of what they'll do to you if they see you alone?" Mihael's tepid breath on the nape of my sensitive neck sent unwanted shudders through me. "Do you?" He pressed on, gripping me tighter and tenderly nuzzling my shoulder. Warning bells loudly sounded in the back of my mind. Things were beginning to get a little too _intimate_ for my liking. I was never very close to another human being before, the slightest touches were too much but this, this was a complete overload.

"Let me go, Mihael!" I demanded.

"No," the blond childishly retorted. The older boy shifted then buried his face in my white-locks. "I want to be your friend." His voice was muffled but I could still clearly make out the sentence. This was all so confusing to me.

"Okay, I'll be your friend, just please, please let go of me!" I compromised. Mihael hesitated before slowly releasing me from his hold.

"Nate, I am never going to let anyone hurt you." A small blush crept onto my cheeks. What a contradiction to the way he had always use to treat me. I did not know what to say. There were so many questions bouncing about my head but my train of thought had crashed. Only one thing was for certain: I had just been tossed into a very upside down situation.

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So there it is! Chapter one! Odd, is it not? Review!


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